


A World Not Yet Born

by KeeperofSeeds



Series: Obi Wan & Shmi and the Worst Vision ever [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: (sort of not really), Anxiety, Babies, First Meetings, Flashbacks, Force Visions, Friendship, Gen, Giving Birth, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Motherhood, Not Beta Read, Old Friends, Past Lives, Podfic Welcome, Pregnancy, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-22 20:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7452937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You mean, now?!" Obi Wan asks, in a marginally quieter voice. "Anakin's coming right now?!"</p>
<p>Shmi goes into labor. Obi Wan panics. And they both get to finally welcome Anakin into the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [suzukiblu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzukiblu/gifts).



> "Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."  
> -Anais Nin

"Restless, your child is." Yoda commented to Shmi as exited the Council chambers, her latest report finished.

"Yes," she confirmed, resting a hand on her stomach. This would probably be her last mission for a while she was forced to admit to herself.

"Many years it has been, since a birth this Temple has been witness to. Looking forward to it, I am."

Shmi paused in the hall and beckoned the small Master closer, making space for his small hand next to hers. Together they felt the small but steady kick kick kick from Anakin. He certainly was more active today than he had been during her mission.

"It will be soon" she declared. When Yoda stepped back she added, "I think he is looking forward to meeting you again Grand Master."

"Strong he is, both physically _and_ in the Force." said Yoda. "A new mind, always welcome is. Or even, if what you and Padawan Kenobi say is to be believed, old friends are too, always welcome here."

With that they part ways. Shmi ignores the curious looks on the walk to her quarters. It's been months now since she first arrived, and she has been in and out of the Temple on a handful of solitary missions since then, but many of the Jedi still are unsure of how to act towards her. An openly solitary Jedi, and one who is obviously Gray, roaming the halls and training salles at all hours… one who has never before been heard of or seen. One who is also very obviously pregnant.

They still don't quite understand who she is or what exactly she is doing. There are theories that she is a spy for the Council. One that has been living in the Outer Rim for years undercover and only recently called back. Others say that she carries a Jedi's child. Some whispers claim it is Padawan Kenobi's, or even Master Jinn himself! Though these rumors are never said within hearing range of the pair and none can figure out how the formerly straight laced Obi Wan would have allowed such a thing to happen.  
Shmi does not let such rumors bother her. There are worst things they could think.

Sinking into the couch back in the quiet of her room is a relief and Shmi can't help but let out a sigh.  
She remembers those months with Gardulla in that other life. Remembers working in the heat. Remembers the way the sand grated against the folds of her skin as she grew larger and heavier.

Anakin shifts again and she feels the ache in her back start up. It shouldn't be long now.  
That's a good enough of a reason as any to indulge in the luxury of having a bath.

* * *

_A few weeks later_

Obi Wan and Qui Gon are in the garden meditating when Shmi winds her way up the path towards them. Her walk is more of a waddle at this point, and she rests a hand on her lower back as she slowly makes it to the small clearing the two have set up in. It is far enough from the central waterfall that she doesn't have to speak very loud.  
  
"Qui Gon, sir. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I am in need of your Padawan."

She hears the voice in her heart whisper  _Master father brother friend_ at the sight of Obi Wan. _Soon_ she thinks back.

The man's eyes open. They are are different than she remembers. More cautious this time around. They are still learning each other. Here where she knows, is, remembers more than she did before.  
  
Obi Wan is still reluctant to share too much of their Vision with him, and their relationship is more guarded for it. Unsure of her intentions, but approving of her actions towards the Council and what he knows of her own missions. He is curious about the way the Living Force courses through her but not yet comfortable enough to openly ask about it.  
   
She is sure he will soon be won over. He was drawn to her son the first time and no doubt will be again. _Together_ she thinks towards Ani, _we'll win him over_.

Speaking of Ani, she feels another twinge of pain start up and presses her hand harder against the curve of her lower back.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble." she amends. She does not want to come between them, and her situation isn't immediately concerning. She should have time, but still, she thought Obi Wan would appreciate being informed in person.

Obi Wan's own eyes open as he winds down his meditation and after a quick smile, his eyes dart to his Master, awaiting his answer.

"Of course," Qui Gon says. "We have no immediate plans this evening. Is there something I could help the two of you with?"

Ah. _Now_ he finally finds the courage to reach out and ask to join them. Well he will have to wait. This is no ordinary training session or easy evening spent with friends.

"Not this time." she tells him. "I'm in labor and I figured Obi Wan might like to be there to greet Anakin."

Both Qui Gon and Obi Wan's mouth fall open in surprise.

"WHAT?!" Obi Wan shouts before clasping both hands over his mouth. Other Jedi's eyes turn towards the sudden noise erupting from the meditation garden.

"You mean, _now_?!" he asks, in a marginally quieter voice. "Anakin's coming right _now_?!"

"Not right this minute, obviously," she gives Obi Wan a Look, "but by tonight, or perhaps tomorrow morning if he decides to be difficult."

 Obi Wan sputters at her. Really she expected him to be more ready for this.

"You seem…remarkably calm for a woman in labor," Qui Gon remarks. He's unfolding long legs from his meditation stance and looks torn between standing up to offer her help and pushing his Padawan at her and hurrying them both away to the medical wing where someone else can deal with her. Obi Wan's panicked eyes meet her again and she sighs before replying dryly, "I've heard it's easier the second time."

"Oh." Obi Wan blinks. "You…remember that?"

"Yes." she says simply.  
  
She is glad that Obi Wan does not know these memories. That they are hers and hers alone. Memories of the time before Anakin; time that she remembers from What Was or Might Have Been. The memories seared into her flesh of walking home early from Gardulla's; the ache in her back and between her legs almost crippling her, bringing her to her knees. Then the hours then spent crouched and bearing down in the slave's quarters, surrounded by the handful of women also not working or those who worked only at night. The hum of their voices singing the ancient words, lending her strength and welcoming her child into the universe.  
The joy of seeing Ani for the first time, mixed with the fear as he was quickly taken from her breast to have his tracker implanted.

These memories she keeps locked in her heart. It's times like now she'll peek inside as a reminder to be grateful for the Visions meant for her son. To remind herself how much things have changed. To remember her own strength. She has endured before, she will do so now.

Another wave of contractions starts up and closes her eyes to ride it out. She feels hands reach out to support her arm and rest on her upper back. She opens her eyes to see Obi Wan beside her. She raises one hand to brush against his bare cheek. He's so easy to read this way, his emotions flicking across his pale face. He really was so young when these Visions came. Nothing like the old wizened Master she'd expected at first. But his eyes, looking into their blue-gray depths is where she sees the decades of hard living. It is a look shared by most inhabitants of Tatooine. She meets those old eyes and asks, "are you ready to come welcome my son into the Universe?"

Obi Wan nods and after a quick good bye to his Master, they make their way slowly back up the path towards the nearest turbo lift, arms wrapped each other's shoulders.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait and post this all as one chapter buuuuut I got impatient. I'm leaving for my first ever overseas trip to Europe on the 12th and wanted to post something before I left. This is only my 4th time flying and I hate it so I will definitely be distracting myself by reading/replying/flailing over any comments you leave. I love that so many people have also embraced this whole AU. I'm having a blast playing around with it. & we haven't even gotten to the actual Big Canon Events yet!


	2. Chapter 2

Vokara Che, a healer meets them as they step off the turbo lift. She and another Knight and the med droids. Shmi is too busy breathing through another contraction to notice. Obi Wan half leads, half carries her into the med bay.

She feels the clenching of muscles, the sweat beginning to gather along her forehead and in the middle of her back. Feels Obi Wan's nervous energy beside her. Hears the steady beep beep beep of the monitors as they begin to track her vitals. The calming mutter of the healers around her, gentle hands loosening her outer robes and easing her back into the bed.

Shmi opens her eyes and the sight that greets her is a bright white light. She blinks, trying to clear her vision and a 2-1B medical droid leans over her, it's yellow sensors scanning away.

Fear. Staring in her gut and crawling up her throat.

Shmi doesn't think, she reacts. Her hand flies out, a Force Push shoving the droid across the room, but she is blind to the crash and to the alarmed shouting that springs up around her.  
She is thrown into a memory.

She remembers the table. The place where The Shadow had taken ~~her~~ her son. Remembers the fear and despair and pain as the droids surrounded ~~her~~ him. She is drowning in the pain! Everything hurts! It hurts even to _breath_ e!

Her hands fly up, batting away others reaching for her, expecting to meet armor but finding only flesh, whole and undamaged.  
But no. _No_. That's not right.  
  
Reality shifts.  
  
She is not There. Not _Then_.

 She is in the Jedi Temple. She is safe. _Ani_ , is safe. They are together still, whole and unharmed. The droid wasn't coming to peel blackened and burned skin away. It was only doing its job. Her hands stop fighting the ones reaching for her and slid down to clutch her stomach. They are shaking but the touch helps ground her. She feels the texture of her robes, the too fast motion of her stomach as her breath struggles to even out.

 _We are safe._ She thinks at Anakin. _I won't let that happen_. _We are safe. Trust in me, my Ani._  

She searches for other memories to push away the panic.  

Ani loved droids. She recall memories of C3PO. The droid he had built to help her. Remembers the shambeling droid through Obi Wan's eyes in those later years, his gold coverings shining bright. Remembers flying, falling, trusting her life to R2D2. She focuses on those memories. Pushes back the anxiety threatening to overtake her from the inside.

This is a happy day. There is no place for memories of that Dark time.

Anakin is coming, and they will be together, and they will be in charge of their own futures.

When she opens her eyes again, the lights are dimmed, or perhaps some are broken, and only one pair of hands touch her. Obi Wan stands beside her, one hand on her forehead the other on top of her own as he projects an aura of safety.

She turns her own hand and grips his, back in the present moment.

"I'm here." she reassures him. Then she looks over to the healers, who are keeping their distance, and nods. "I'm ready," she says, "but not like this."

Walking she decides. Walking will help. Not laying prone, looking up at the humming lights.  
  
She expects to have to fight the healer on this, but the Twi'lek woman in charge just nods in acceptance. At Shmi surprised look, she elaborates. "Many cultures and species feel that movement helps birth progress easier and faster. We are here to make this as easy as possible for you Mistress Skywalker." She does not reach for Shmi as she speaks but allows her to rely on Obi Wan to slid back off the bed. "Please let us know what else we can do to help. As long as it does not compromise your health, we will do our best to provide it."

Shmi looks around the room to see a human Padawan sweeping away broken glass and that all droids save one have been removed. She would blush in embarrassment for the loss of control but finds she does not have the energy. Everything she has left must be saved and used to usher Anakin into the physical plane.

Not letting go of Obi Wan's hand, she begins to walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta dig through a little angst before you can get to the fluff and happy meetings. 
> 
> And there are just so many interesting parallels and discussions about how birth and death are mirrors to each other or two methods of transformation into new planes of existence ect. Plus, I love how RotS showed the side by side views of Padme's death and water funeral with Anakin's "re-birth" by fire into Vader. I'm not quite sure how desert child Shmi fits into those cool parallels yet but I had fun thinking about it anyway.
> 
>  
> 
> Also:  
> Vokara Che is a female Twi'lek Jedi Master who shows up in some of the Clone Wars novels. According to Wookiepedia she served as Chief Healer during the Clone Wars. Since I recently purchased The Clone Wars: Wild Space, where she pops up, I figured I'd have her show up here rather than trying to create my own OC. She isn't Chief Healer yet obviously, but I figure she is at least a Knight, if a younger one. If you know anything else about her history/backstory feel free to jump in as all I know is from the wiki.


	3. Chapter 3

 Obi Wan's memories are bleeding into one another. He remembers standing over another medical bed, unable to help, to figure out what went _wrong_ , as Padme's life force faded and drained away.

His hand is squeezed and he looks back down, in the here and now, where Shmi is panting heavily as she stands next to the bed. She refused to lie down after that initial moment of panic and has been making slow, shambling circuits up and down the room, pausing only to let Healer Che take more readings, sip water, or breathe through contractions. His free hand is gripping the sheets almost as hard as hers.

He feels out of his depth. _Young…_ in a way he hasn't felt in weeks. Like that early time in Anakin's apprenticeship where he could barely mange his own emotions, let alone help another manage theirs.  
He hopes his anxiety isn't effecting Shmi, but ever since she arrived she had an uncanny ability to read him. That's what comes of sharing memories he supposes.

True to form, she squeezes his hand again, drawing his attention. "It will be alright" she says and lets out a long slow exhale, riding the wave of pain. They've been here for hours, they're coming closer together now. Her face is red and he can feel the exhaustion slowly creeping up on her as time passes.

It hits him then how ridiculous this whole situation is! He is supposed to be comforting _her!_

A laugh bubbles up and Shmi looks at him confused.

"This is ridiculous!" he tells her. "You’re the one giving birth, why are you reassuring me?!"

"You helped me earlier Obi Wan. Let me do the same for you." She lets out her own breathless chuckle. "Besides, I've done this part before remember? In much less accommodating circumstances."

Obi Wan pauses.  
  
"I…hadn't really considered the reality of that" he admits before shuddering at the idea. Tatooine's lack of medical services had caused enough problems in his little community during those long lingering years after the rise of the Empire. He's seen injured men lose limbs that could have been easily saved in Core world medical facilities. Seen fevers wipe out entire families. He could not image how difficult giving birth would have been.  
  
"I appreciate the lack of sand this time around." Shmi says with a dry smirk. Obi Wan blinks at her, the tension in him dissolving as laughter takes its place. The bubbling anticipation of Anakin's birth flowing through the Force and wrapping around him and- _oh_. How different things are this time. How wonderfully different.  
  
He is still laughing as Shmi grips his hand harder and the bed frames begin to twist and break across the room as she starts to bear down once final time.  
  
The Force is almost a physical presence in the room, swirling around her like a desert storm. Though there is less heat, it swirls around the room in waves, matching each contraction. Shmi is not afraid. She welcomes the feeling, remembers the way Anakin felt while flying. Remembers the voice of Qui Gon, from that other life telling his Padawan to "Trust in the Living Force."

Soon. Soon he will be here. _Oh_ , she's waited so long. Traveled so far, farther than she ever imagined. And finally the moment is _here_!  
  
The wave of the storm crests as Anakin arrives, his screams mixing with Shmi's own as he comes into the world, passing from her own hand to Vokara Che's waiting ones below. Pure relief and happiness ring out to all Jedi within this wing of the Temple.  
  
The Force bubbles and fizzes with pleasure. The one It had waited for was here.

* * *

Shmi smiles down at the red faced child in her arms, brushing thin wisps of hair back from his forehead. She is back in the bed now, raised to a seated position and torn between cradling Anakin in her arms and holding him back to check over every inch of him again to reassure herself he is as perfect as she remembered.  
  
"Oh my Ani," she says, "I've missed you." She runs her hands over his own tiny ones, smiling as they automatically grip her fingers. She looks at the long lines of his legs, at the space where there will be no scar. Her son will have no tracker. He is Freeborn now. 

 

Obi Wan is staring at them. At _Anakin_. Here. The boy who was his Padawan his brother his murderer his dear friend.

He's here. It's him. No longer a just presence in the Force or the small movements under his hand as Shmi guides him to the kick kick kick inside her, but _here_.  

His mind flashes through other faces, overlaying images of Leia, held close by Bail Organa, to Luke, clutched tightly to his own chest on that bittersweet oh too short journey  back to Tatooine.

Shmi looks up at him and twitches her head, beckoning him closer. "Hold out your hands" she commands, and he recognizes what she's going to do a second too late.

She reaches up and places Anakin in his arms. And Obi Wan is lost. His heart nearly sings with the joy and relief of this meeting. None of the previous life's fears or resentment can taint this moment, none of those past insecurities as a new Knight. All that flows through him now is love.

"Hello my dear friend" he whispers to the scrunched up face and bends closer to lay a single kiss on his forehead.

Blue eyes open to meet his and it's the most wonderful sight he's seen in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not crying, you're crying!


End file.
